The present invention relates to a depalletizing machine.
As is known, the problem exists of automatically unpacking pallets defined by a number of layers of products, such as bottles, jars, tins and similar, stacked into a block for easy transport. Each layer in the pallet normally comprises a given number of parallel, side by side rows of products arranged on a tray or supporting panel resting on the layer underneath.
With reference to FIG. 1, currently marketed depalletizing machines comprise: a work platform I on which the packed pallet is placed; a linear roller conveyor II for successively feeding the packed pallets onto platform I; and a storage bed III on which the individual layers in the pallet are stored temporarily as the pallet is unpacked.
The storage bed III is located to the side of work platform I, and normally comprises a flat conveyor belt sized to accommodate one or more complete layers of products. The conveyor belt is normally fitted with a deflecting wall slanting with respect to the traveling direction of the belt, and which, as the conveyor belt feeds the individual layers forward, forms a succession of individual products ready for use by other machines.
Currently marketed depalletizing machines also comprise: a separating head IV movable horizontally and vertically over work platform I and storage bed III to successively transfer the whole layers in the pallet from work platform I to storage bed III; a centering device V for compacting and centering each layer in the pallet in the center of work platform I, to facilitate pickup of the whole layer of products by separating head IV; and a tray or supporting panel pickup device VI, which moves over the work platform to remove each tray or supporting panel off the top of the pallet as soon as the corresponding layer in the pallet has been transferred onto storage bed III.
Depalletizing machines of the above type have the drawback of being extremely expensive and bulky, thus preventing wide-scale use in small bottling or canning plants. Moreover, such machines have a poor degree of flexibility, being designed to maintain a high output rate, which is often considerably in excess of small bottling or canning plant requirements.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact depalletizing machine, which also provides for a greater degree of flexibility as compared with currently marketed types.
According to the present invention, there is provided a depalletizing machine for receiving at the input a succession of pallets of products, and supplying at the output a succession of single products; each packed pallet being defined by a number of stacked layers of products, and each said layer of products comprising a given number of parallel, side by side rows of products; the depalletizing machine comprising a work platform on which the packed pallet is positioned, and a linear, output conveyor for conveying said succession of single products off the depalletizing machine; said depalletizing machine being characterized by comprising a separating head for successively transferring a given number of rows of products from the top of the stationary pallet on the work platform to the linear output conveyor; said given number of tows of products being less than the number of rows of products defining each layer in said pallet.